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Tea Break

I should be busy writing two books right now, but Charles Brownstein of the CBLDF has asked me to let the world know that people who bid on the CBLDF auction are now getting "Second chance bid" e-mails from someone named guttermanhannah@aol.com. Needless to say, these are completely fraudulent, so I have cranked up the generator and am online for five minutes.

(Incidentally the actual Auction winner was Markus Gaelli , who will be using it to help promote Squeak -- go to http://www.squeakland.org/ to find out what that is. I'll tell you what the ship will actually be called when I surface.)

Also Michael Chabon just wrote to let me know that the First Amendment Project is financially out on the edge...

I'm on the board of the First Amendment Project(www.thefirstamendment.org). It's a nonprofit advocacy organizationthat among other functions provides legal counsel to writers, artists,journalists and others facing prosecution on first amendmentgrounds--an organization "dedicated to protecting and promotingfreedom of information, expression, and petition." Recently theProject represented the teenager, George T., who was prosecuted ANDCONVICTED on criminal charges in California for writing violent poems.The appeals court overturned the conviction.

The Project is also planning a campaign to combat and remedy theshocking deficit of respect for and understanding of First Amendmentissues revealed by that recent Knight-Ridder poll of American youngpeople.

They're also about to run out of money. They went broke defending aSan Diego environmental activist who was sued by a huge real estatedeveloper for petitioning to protect bald eagles. The plaintiffstried--and failed--to sue her under RICO (federal anti-racketeering!)laws!

TFAP won the court battle but it was a classic Pyrrhic victory. Onemore like that and they are lost.

They need money.

There is so much to care about and we face so many demands for ourtime, attention, and money.I know.But the First Amendment... it allstarts there, doesn't it? It seems to me that there's really no pointto anything else without that basic guarantee.

If you could manage to contribute even just a little, it would make adifference. I hope you will. And I'll hope you'll forgive thisimportunate but timely plea.

All the struggling little indies out here would be pitifully grateful if, when you mention preordering at Amazon, you could give a nod to www.booksense.com; their Store Locator identifies your nearest independents. Shopping with them, in turn, saves you shipping, boosts your karma and gives your an indefinable youthful glow. Many thanks -- Susan Ramsey, Athena Book Shop, Kalamazoo